Cholera

Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibro cholera. cholera outbreaks are still a serious problem in other parts of the world. At least 150,000 cases are reported to the World Health Organization each year.
The disease is most common in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. 

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is usually found in food or water contaminated by feces from a person with the infection. Common sources include:

  1. Municipal water supplies
  2. Ice made from municipal water
  3. Foods and drinks sold by street vendors
  4. Vegetables grown with water containing human wastes
  5. Raw or under cooked fish and seafood caught in waters polluted with sewage
  6. When a person consumes the contaminated food or water, the bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that produces severe diarrhea.

Symptoms of cholera can begin as soon as a few hours or as long as five days after infection. Often, symptoms are mild. But sometimes they are very serious. About one in 20 people infected have severe watery diarrhea accompanied by vomiting, which can quickly lead to dehydration. Although many infected people may have minimal or no symptoms, they can still contribute to spread of the infection.


Image Source : borgenmagzine.com

Although there is a vaccine against cholera, the CDC and World Health Organization don't normally recommend it, because it may not protect up to half of the people who receive it and it lasts only a few months. However, you can protect yourself and your family by using only water that has been boiled, water that has been chemically disinfected, or bottled water.
Hydration is the mainstay of treatment for cholera. Depending on how severe the diarrhea is, treatment will consist of oral or intravenous solutions to replace lost fluids. Antibiotics, which kill the bacteria, are not part of emergency treatment for mild cases. But they can reduce the duration of diarrhea by half and also reduce the excretion of the bacteria, thus helping to prevent the spread of the disease.Stay Healthy :)


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